17 Responses to:
FIXING THE HILL CUMORAH PAGEANT

# 1. 7/20/12 7:56 AM by Matt - Rochester
I am a Catholic and think they do an amazing job on this each year! Excellent tradition! I recommend everyone go see it.

# 2. 7/20/12 9:05 AM by tom - penfield, ny
Odd, that you have to put on a big show to wow the spectators. Should you really need to do that? How about a huge fireworks display with rockets and bombs going off like a big city 4th of July finale. That usually will awe the crowd into believing they witnessed something important. Maybe you could get a Madison Avenue public relations firm involved to create a slick packaging scheme. It's all show biz, ain't it?

# 3. 7/20/12 9:13 AM by Luke - Holley
Another mass shooting in Colorado. If everyone in the theater had a gun this could have been avoided.

# 4. 7/20/12 9:40 AM
Maybe they just got lazy.

# 5. 7/20/12 9:53 AM by Henricks Revocable Living Trust
Bob, Your Hill Cumorah comments were greatly appreciated!I, too, miss the Gates versions of the hymns!

# 6. 7/20/12 10:05 AM
Yeah ok, and if I had a crystal ball, I would want Charlotte Beach to be pollution free and the telephone hotline to vanish. O, and one other thing, getting rid of all the higher up rift rafts who have big jobs in the county and city. Don't forget the new big wig in the parking bureau.

# 7. 7/20/12 10:16 AM by derek - highland, ut
probably won't get a lot of comments on this article, but i just wanted to let you know that i enjoyed your thoughts about what could be done to make sure the pageant doesn't get "stale."

# 8. 7/20/12 10:27 AM by Julie - Fairport
I wholeheartedly agree with your suggestions, Bob. Producer/Director Bob Lonsberry? You are right about the MT Choir, too. No 4th of July is complete without the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Any track from their God Bless America album would be awesome. Who do we need to talk to?

# 9. 7/20/12 10:36 AM by John - SLC
Thoughtful and constructive criticism.

I hope they take the suggestions.

# 10. 7/20/12 10:52 AM by Durwood - Canandaigua
Needs more flying monkeys.

# 11. 7/20/12 2:09 PM by Mike
as I heard someone say, there is no 2nd coming or space brothers only mind control and you are an example of it and if you don't conform then you are eliminated and I do believe that no one is coming to save us - Jesus came and taught and was a threat and he didn't conform but he did leave a message of empowerment and love which includes non-judgement meanwhile some 24 year old guy last name Holmes just went into a theater and shot 71 people with a AR 15 assault rifle and had many firearms in his home.

# 12. 7/20/12 2:48 PM by Fritz
Do you really think the LDS church will seek the advise of an addle minded, excommunicated member who is a right wing nut case? The church is not an American church, but for all people every where.

# 13. 7/20/12 2:49 PM by hc
This column was a bit of a surprise.

The bulk of your column suggested improvements specific to the actual narrative. I'm not even remotely qualified to speak to that for the simple reason that I'm not LDS.

But as a Christian who has frequented venues where they have taken the time to "upgrade", I do wish to speak about the "punch" and the changing tastes you've referred to.

Take the wildly popular Father's House Church, for example. (This is not my home church, by the way.) Again, my comment is not about beliefs. It's about aesthetics. Anyone,(regardless of belief system) who has been to the Father's House can readily attest that, aesthetically speaking, they clearly have their act together.

And they are packing them in.

Not just a few weekends a year, either.

It's like that every single Sunday.

At multiple locations.

Maybe some of the pageant organizers might want to pop on over there for some, uh, inspiration. Though the mega-church phenomenon isn't for everybody (it's not my cup of tea); it probably contains aspects that may serve to be of use to retool events with the grandeur and scale of your Hill Cumorah Pageant.

:)~ xp

# 14. 7/20/12 9:23 PM by Ron Pettengill - Webster, NY
Excellent suggestions.

# 15. 7/20/12 9:24 PM by Eli - Clarendon, NY
Great article Bob.

I'm wondering though what happened to the commitment you made to your readers a couple of months ago about your being more diligent in posting your column in a more consistent and timely manner?

Editor's Note: only so many hours in the day

# 16. 7/21/12 9:46 AM by Galen - Rochester
I went to the pageant last night for the first time in15 years. I expected to be impressed by the special effects and the ability to tell a long story in a short amount of time I was disappointed. I found it boring and confussing The sacrifice and hard work involved impressed me as well as the thought that for 75 years people have been watching this pageant. I won't go back unless some changes are made

# 17. 8/7/12 11:49 PM by Emily - Garland, Utah
Manti pageant needs work too.

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